Agricultural implement.



R. A. RICHARDSON.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1915.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

IA PLANOG To all whom it may concern:

ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT RICHARDSON, OF MADISON, GEORGIA..

Be it known that I, RO ERT A. RICHARD- SON, a citizen of thefUnited States, residing atMadison, in the county of Morgan and State of Georgia, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Agricultural Implements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to agricultural implements, and more particularly to a device for cultivating the soil in the neighborhood of the roots of growing plants. 7 r

An object of the invention is to provide an agricultural implement which is constructed and arranged to be drawn over the ground between adjacent rows of plants and to exert a heavy pressure upon the soilso as to break the crust which forms after a rain. It is well known that following a shower a more or less hard crust formsupon the surface of the soil which is not only objectionable because it is partly impervious to moisture and prevents water from reaching the roots of the plants, but it also prevents the air from reaching the roots, and this is detrimental-to the growth of the plants.

It, is the usual ractice to use a low or.

harrow, to stir upor mellow the soiladjacent to the plants, and this is done fre quent-ly'from the time that the plant begins: to grow, until it reaches fullmaturity, the

object being to obtain free access to the roots by breaking up and loosening the soil. One objection to this common practice is that the roots of the plant are frequently disturbed by the plow, harrow, or other cultivating tool, and in many instances these roots are injured, or severed from the plant, which is detrimental to .theplants growth. Under the present invention the soil is not plowed, harrowed, or otherwise dug up, but is subjected to. action whichi crushes the crust, and permits the free access of air and moisture to the roots of the plants.

In its preferred form my invention com- 7 prises a disk of concrete, metal, or otherv suitable material, which is preferably suspended pivotally from. a plow'beam, :or other suitable support, to-which may be attached handles and also suitable means for connection with a draft device at its forward end. The disk is made of considerable weight, as about 100 to 200 pounds, and'its lower surface preferably tapers from the center toward the periphery, thereby pre- Specification of Letters Ifatent.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMEN senting a convex, or conical-shaped bottom portion. This disk when pulled over the ground by a team of horses, or other means, is caused ,to rotate and, very effectually breaks up the crust of the soil, and also leaves the soil smooth so as to make it re-I eral roots of the plants in any manner.

Further objects and advantages of thein- .ventionwill be made apparent fromthe fol- I lowing descriptionwhen considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: V

Figure 1 shows, in rear elevation, an implement embodyin the princi 'les of the g P V 7 present invention, the implement being illustrated in the position which it would occupy plants. Fig. 2 shows the device in side ele- 1 vation; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is a dewhen in use between two adjacent rows of tail, sectional view, on the line 44:, Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is adetail View of the hinge connection for the presser-roll carrying arm; and

Fig. 6 is another detailviei The implement comprises a disk 2, which; may be made of concrete, cast iron, or any: other suitable material having sufi'icient weight and strength to accomplish the de-. sired result. This disk is substantially flat on' top, and its bottom portion may be either of conical form,'as shown, or it may be conveXed or rounded, if preferred. In

,pr'acticeit is proposedlto make this disk about 30 inches in diameter, and of a weight which will be between. 100 and 200 pounds, though, of course, the particular dimensions and weight suggested may be varied, if. desired.

V Patented Feb. 15, 1916. Application filed June 29, 19125. 'sefia1iro.e7,11o.

j The disk 2 is provided with a central bore which constitutes a bearing'for-a pivot bolt .in which is preferablylocated a thimble 4,

disk, and a shankwhich passesthroughv a;

hole in'the beam 9,'the extreme endof the shank being threaded to receive a nut 8,

wvhich secures the bolt 6 to the beam. The .disk 2 is thus suspended from the beam by the bolt in a manner to permit free rotationv of the-disk upon thebolt 6 asan axial' center.

-To the rear end ofthe-beaml9 are pref erably attached ordinaryplowhandles 10,

which are connected by a suitable brace. 12, Q 1 and the forward end of the; beam 9 is shown. 7

as having a perforation 1 1 to provide for a bolt, clevis, or any other suitable device for connection with a team, for draft purposes. An anti-friction roller 16 is journaled upon a studwhich projects rigidly.

an angularly bent portion 19 which extends laterally from the beam 9 and is provided near its outer end with a perforation. An arm 21 is provided with an ,angularly bent portion which overlaps the angular extension 19, and is. suitably connected to the latter by a bolt 23, )ro'vided with a clamping nut. The angular portion 22 of the arm 21 has a perforation. which registers with the perforationin the part 19, and the arm 21 is also provided with an angularly bentfoot portion 25, the latter having a perforation which alines with the perforations so in the parts 19 and 22. Y

An arm 26 has at its innerend an eye which fits over and has rotating bearing upon a stud 27, which is angularly bent from a plate 28 secured by screws, or other suitable devices, to one side of the beam 9, as best shown in Fig. 5. A-iwasher and cotter pin serve to secure the arm 26 to the stud 27, the described positionpermitting free hinging movement of the arm on the an anti-friction roller 30 which rests upon the top of the disk'2 near its outer edge. A red ,32 is guided in the perforations in the parts 19, 22, and 25, and the lower end. of this rod is forked as shown in Fig. 6, said fork embracing the arm' 26, and a spiral spring 33 surrounds the rod .32, and

is confined between; a pin, or other abut ment on the rod, and the lower surface of the angular portion 19. I p

The above described parts' constitute 'a means for exerting, through the handles 10,

beam 9, rod 32 and spring 33, a yielding 30 to cause that side of the disk-2 upon 55 which said roller bears to press firmly stud. The outer end of the arm 26 carries against-the ground, and the disk at the same time will be rotated about the pivot bolt 6 as a center. The result of the pres: sure ontheground as thus applied will be to break the crust, to smooth down all inequalities and break all lumps and thus prepare the ground for the next rain, besides putting the soil in such conditlon that theair may readily reach, the roots of the plants. After passing down along the side of one row to the end thereof,-the operator will turn the implement around, and the same will be pulled over the ground in an opposite direction fronithat first described,"

and along the side of the 'adiacentrow of plants, shown to the left .of Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the soil will be treated infthe same manner as itwas for the first row of 1 plants. The frictional.engagement between i the ground and the disk 2 .Will, when pres sure is applied to the outer edge of the disk.

through the roller 30, cause the disk to rotate freely, and'this act-ion not only tends to keep the lower surface of the disk clear of soil, but more effectually breaks the'crust of the groimd and smoothes the same so as to prepare it for the next rain.

Qhanges may be made in the details of theconstruction descibed, or in the proportions of the several parts WltllOUl'r dc} parting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention-what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An implement of the class. described,v compr sing a support, and a disk having a continuous surface and adapted to roll over the ground and break'the crust, said disk being of greater thickness at its center than: at its periphery connected with the support by a central pivot and arranged" to be rotated by engagement with the ground."

2. An implement of the classi described',;.

comprising a support arranged for connec tion with draft means, a disk having a coni cal smoothing surface for engagement with the ground, said disk connected centrally with said support by a vertical pivotanda constructed to engage the ground at one,

side of its center and to be rotated while it is pulled over the ground. l 3. An implementof-the class described;

comprising a beam, a disk havinga bottom 7 portion of conicalform, with a continuoussurface to engage the-ground, a pivot .con-

necting saiddiskand beam and arranged to. permit rotation of said CllSlK as 1t,1s ulled. along while in engagement with the ground:

on one side of :its center, and means to ape ply a yielding pressure to. said disk on :tl'ltlt sidewhich engages the ground.-

4'. An implement of the class comprising a draft beam, handles connected therewith, a, disk having its bottom por tion' of greater thickness at the center than described,

at the periphery and having a substantially continuous surface for engagement with the ground and adapted to roll over the ground and break the crust, a substantially vertical pivot connecting said disk centrally with the beam, and means between said beam and disk to apply a yielding pressure to the disk on that side of its center which engages the ground.

5. An implement of the class described,

comprising a draft beam, handles connected therewith, a disk having its bottom portion of conical form and having an unbroken smoothing surface to engage the ground, said disk being connected to said beam by a central pivot, an anti-friction roll carried by said beam and bearing upon the upper face of the disk, and yielding means to transmit pressure to the edge of the disk located at one side of said beam.

' 6. An implement of the class described, comprising a draft beam handles connected therewith, a disk having its bottom portion of conical form and having an unbroken smoothing surface to engage the ground, said disk connected to said beam by a central pivot, an anti-friction roll between the rear end of said beam and the top of said disk, an arm hinged to the side of the beam and carrying at its end a roll bearing upon the disk, and yielding connections between said beam and arm. 7

7 An implement of the class described, comprising a draft beam, handles connected therewith, a disk having its bottom portion of conical form, and provided with a central perforation, a pivot bolt passing through said perforation and connected with said i upon the disk near its edge, said spring pressed rod engaging said arm, and tending to hold said roller in engagement with the disk. 1

8. An implement of the class described, comprising a draft beam, handles connected therewith, a disk having its bottom of coniv cal form and provided with a central perforation, a bolt passing through said perforation and through a perforation in said beam, an anti-friction roll between the rear end of said beam and the top of said disk, an arm hinged to the side of said beam, and

carrying at its outer end a roller which bears upon the edge portion of the disk, a bracket clamped to the beam, a spring pressed rod guided in a perforation in said bracket and having its lower end provided with a fork which engages said arm, whereby the operator may, through the beam and said spring pressed rod, apply a'yielding pressure to the disk near its outer edge and thereby hold said disk in engagement with the ground.

ROBERT RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

A. H. WINTER, E. L. WALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G." 

